Gilroy calls for big finish to the season

"To lose by the margin we did after leading for quite such a time was frustrating," says Craig Gilroy, reflecting on Sunday's 23-13 Guinness PRO12 defeat at Cardiff Blues.

"We thought we'd actually played quite well up to the 50th or 60th minute. We have to put it down to lapses in defence, and to some stupid missed tackles, and that's very disappointing. To be in front for so long then come away with nothing isn't what anyone wanted.

"We'd had a good week in training and things were coming together well. We'd talked a lot about the kick-chase and we wanted to get that really 'nailed on', and we didn't, and it really cost us. We let them get into the game, slipped off tackles and let them back into it," said the clearly deflated international winger.

Gilroy's second-half try, after a particularly good phase of fluent, attacking play from the visitors involving Franco van der Merwe, Ruan Pienaar and the charging Sammy Arnold, had seemed to clinch another four-point haul. But Rhys Patchell and Aled Summerhill each touched down in the last ten minutes as Ulster's defensive frailties emerged.

"The only positive we can take is that we're still fourth in the table, we're back at home on Friday night against Zebre and we can try and right a few wrongs in front of our own supporters at Kingspan Stadium."

Gilroy accepted that many of the mistakes and errors which had seen the Scarlets win in Belfast a week earlier had surfaced again, and like that game, he felt that Ulster could and should have won in Cardiff. He was honest in his assessment that the wins against Treviso, Glasgow and the Dragons which had seen Ulster go top-of-the-table only two weeks ago had not seen Ulster perform as it can.

"As far as I'm concerned being back home against Zebre on Friday is a 'must win' for us. I know personally I'll be really up for it and so will the rest of the boys. If we want to be in those play-offs and get that home semi-final, we have to have a really big, big finish to the season.

"There aren't that many games to go, and there are some really tough fixtures coming up and I think it starts again on Friday night, being back at home and showing what it means to us."

Accepting that it was now a very congested race for the play-offs, Gilroy's frustration at not taking anything away from the BT Sports Arms Park was palpable.

"Every point counts, and we have been pretty hard on ourselves about the result and the performance and I think that's where we really have to come back stronger on Friday," said Gilroy, always candid, always articulate.

And he felt that the squad could rediscover its momentum and its form, and was determined that in front of a passionate home support against Zebre, valuable ground could be regained.

"They are all big games but Zebre is now even more important. We know what they can do, we'll have to be alert and we'll have to be sharp in every aspect of our own play, and we'll all be working hard to make sure we get back on track this Friday."